


She's like sunlight

by CyanideCherub



Category: My Time At Portia (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Slow Burn, blossomed romance, touch starved, unsure feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-07
Updated: 2020-04-07
Packaged: 2021-03-01 16:55:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23530435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CyanideCherub/pseuds/CyanideCherub
Summary: Since Mint took up residency in Portia, life has been very strange and frustrating at times. Yet there is one person he trusts, one person who can make all of his worries melt away. Even if they are both too shy to say something about it.Fluffy one shot with Mint/Builder
Relationships: Builder/Mint (My Time At Portia), Female Builder/Mint (My Time At Portia)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 45





	She's like sunlight

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Mint fic. I saw that it was woefully lacking, so here you go, enjoy. C:

He was falling asleep at his desk. Long lashes flickering over russet eyes. Beams of sunlight streaked across his flawless almond skin. She watched, distracted from the plans and logistics scattered over the carved pine desk that she'd crafted for him. Her face was in her hands, elbows on the desk, relishing in the warmth of the sun the back of her neck as she watched the Engineer cave into his exhaustion. Mint let out a deep yawn, rubbing at his eyes with heel of his palm, guiding them up through his thick, neat hair as his long body stretched. The Builder caught sight of a slither of pale flesh as his t-shirt pulled up over his hips, fingers coiling into her cheeks as she forced herself to look away.

“We're getting nowhere,” he said, eyes scoping the beautifully crafted designs with frustration. He picked them up, scrutinising them before letting out a sigh. “Gust's designs are aesthetically sound, but super impractical for Portia's budget. But he won't hear it no matter how many times we argue about it and Mr. Gale wants me to compromise. I don't know what to do...”

Mint crumpled against the desk, tired and thoroughly exasperated by his adoptive Brother's unwavering expectations. When he took Gale up on staying as his assistant he thought Gust might have become more amicable, not less. His only boon was the Builder sat opposite him was so resourceful, she was either able to pull miracles out of thin air, or soften Gust into changing his mind, which in it's self was a miracle. He let out a grumble into the wood, thankful she was the only other person in the Mayor's office. Usually demure and polite, very little got under Mint's skin but Gust just seemed to have a knack, and he hated to complain to anyone about it. Except for her, of course.

Her hand curled around his outstretched forearm, warm, calloused fingers spoke of comfort and relief. She was the only one that could touch him; raised an orphan, Mint was a little wary of people, and it's not like he'd ever been taught how to be affectionate around them. Mint tolerated the increasing back pat's from Gale, hugs from Albert and he'd grown used to Ginger reaching for his hand, hers more delicate and paler than his own. But the Builder, he _enjoyed._ She would greet him with a hug, her toned body melting against his; grab him by the hand as she'd drag him through her workshop with excitement, showing him her latest creation. And more recently would sit with him while he napped, running her sturdy hands through his course hair, sending shivers down his spine as her short fingernails would scour the length of his scalp. Mint didn't know if this was 'normal' for friends, he'd never had any before Portia, but he had to admit to himself if this was normal for her, he could let himself enjoy it.

“I think you've been working on it all afternoon, and it's time to take a break, Mint,” she said, fingers caressing his bare arm as she gestured to the sofa adjacent the desk with her brow. “I saw Gust and Albert walk towards the Round Table half an hour ago. I know you don't like to have a clock in here, but I can see from Gale's it's nearing 6, you've done enough.”

He brought himself to his full height, back straight against the chair and sighed, rubbing at his neck. He was so used to working all the hours sent to him, stopping was a new concept to him. “I'm not sure, Mr. Gale wants the plans verified and the materials sourced within the week, I don't want to disappoint him.”

The builder let out a small laugh, rosy cheeks bundled up to her bright eyes. “I don't think you're capable of disappointing him. C'mon just for a little while. You rest, then we'll eat, I'll go home and check on the resources and we can regroup. You're tired, that big old brain of yours needs to reboot.”

His cheeks flushed, caught in her rough beauty. Captured by the way she smiled at him as she teased, hair bouncing and eyes lighting up as the fading sunlight danced across her face. The soft lilt of her voice swayed him into obeying. Who was he kidding, she could ask him to do anything and he would without hesitation. She sat on the long, hardwood sofa first. Patting on the sun-bleached denim of her overalls before placing one of the plush scatter cushions on her lap. They had done this dance before, though neither of them knew it was a dance despite knowing the steps. With aching bones and swollen joints, Mint pried himself from the too small office chair and made his way over to the sofa, and her. He was careful as he lay down, trying to be gentle and cautious. Not that he was scared of breaking her, she'd shown how easily she could lift him and move him when she needed too. He was more concerned of how it would look if someone came into the office, he didn't want to implicate her. Mint rested with his head away from her, facing the opposite wall, embarrassed to catch her eye and show just how easy his face was to read, how happy it made him to be with her like this. As he settled, he pulled his long legs and arms pulled close to his body, partially dangling off the sofa, he never quite fit on it even when he was alone but she brought a comfort and he could cope with the awkwardness. She brought a hand to the crown of his hand, dragging her fingernails through his scalp, watching as the light played with the colour. Tones of blue and green jumped out at her, she could play with his hair for hours.

“See,” she hummed. “That wasn't too hard, was it?”

The words thrummed through his chest, he could feel the blush spreading through his body. He risked a look at her, craning his head round, his shoulders digging into her side. Incapable of answering her he just nodded his head and looked away again, left arm snaking up to curl around the cushion. After a quiet minute she continued. Fingers starting at the top of his crown and trailing to the base of his neck, teasing the strands between them each time. Mint could feel his eyes closing, struggling to stay open, lost in the repetitive feeling of his hair being played with, the beating of her pulse through the cushion and her absent minded humming.

His breathing was slowing, she could feel him reluctantly giving in to sleep. For a guy who loved to sleep, he didn't do it an awful lot by choice. The builder caught the sound of a soft whimper as she hit a knot at the base of his neck. Digging her fingers into the soft, supple skin she went deeper. Guiding them under his shirt, down the tense, knotted muscles of his shoulders feeling them pop under her touch. Mint let out a moan. Something he'd never done before. He surprised both of them but the Builder continued massaging his tired shoulders and he was so caught out by her insistence that he didn't have time to embarrassed any further by it. She kept hitting a painful bundle of nerves and he turned his head into the cushion, gritting his teeth. It was painful but a good kind of pain. Her fingers tapped over the spot again and she spoke.

“H-here?”

“A-ha.” His voice was uncertain, he wanted her to continue but found it hard to verbalise his want.

The Builder leant over, her stomach brushed against the back of skull as she renewed her efforts. Digging her fingers in a rotational motion into a knot just under his shoulder blade, feeling as the Engineer tensed and then relaxed under her, trying to catch a glimpse of his cute, pink face. She moved her hand to other shoulder, it was a bit more awkward to try and work at, but she tried her best. She found herself getting flushed at the effort, and the sweet, little sounds Mint was making.

“A little bit lower,” he stated, frustrated at how close she was to another knot of muscles and relieved when her deft fingers found the point.

He rolled forward, so he was almost on his front. Curled up like a six foot tall cat on her lap, bristling at her touch. He was confused, she'd never done anything like this before. He must be dreaming, right? Her hand coursed down his spine and all of the air left his lungs, gracing him with one last sweeping moan before he died of embarrassment.

“Mint? Are you alright, did I hurt you?” She sounded concerned as she pulled her hands away from him.

Finding all of the will he possessed, he rolled onto his back to look her in the eye. Hair splayed back against the cushion, and his legs dangling awkwardly over the arm of the sofa as he nervously played with his hands. He looked at her, red cheeks, and bright eyes. Noticing the smudge of coal near the lobe of her ear. She was made of light, bold, and blinding, and perfect. She brought purpose to his life and Mint found it strange that this one person could mean so much to him.

“No, I'm fine,” he said trying his best not to cover his face, as hers drew closer to his. “That felt – good.”

She beamed from cheek to cheek. “I'm glad. I thought it'd been too rough. You know you ought to go and see Phyllis at the clinic and get a sports massage. You click like my Grandma and she's in her eighties.”

He'd always had problems with his back, ever since being a kid. Being so tall and hunched over paperwork five days a week could do that, even all of the travelling and supervising sites couldn't counterbalance it. But he refused to let anyone touch it until now, the thought of anyone else him made him sick.

“Maybe...” he offered weakly.

The Builder gave him a mischievous smile, resting her elbow against the arm of the sofa and tilting her head away from Mint so he could see the long, slender sinew of her neck. “Or I could ask her how to do it and I could do it for you?”

Mint gulped visibly, the thought of him shirtless and her kneading her hands into his back was almost too much to bare. “Y-you don't have to do that. I'm sure it'll be fine.”

She couldn't help herself, there was something about him flailing that made her want to flirt with him more, he was too cute. “I don't mind, I want to help you out. Maybe I could teach you to do it too and you could help me.” She watched as he shut down, bringing long hands to cover the extent of his embarrassment. The builder grabbed him by his delicate wrists and pulled them away from his face. “Mint, I'm just kidding. You don't have to at all, but if your back hurts that's much you should probably see Dr. Xu.”

He grumbled something, still pink at her flirty comments.

“What's that?” She asked.

The Engineer could feel his pulse racing against her hands and his face, betraying how pitifully under-prepared he was for any kind of intimate situation. “It would fine if you did it. I wouldn't mind.”

“Really?”

“Yeah...But only if you come with me to see Dr. Xu.”

“Then it's a date!” She smiled at him once more, releasing his wrists from her grasp and allowing him to sit up-right. The builder threw the scatter cushion the other side of Mint as he pulled himself round, teasing his hair into a pre-ruffled condition. “I'm gonna go over to the Round Table and order some take-out for us and see if I can catch Dr. Xu for an appointment. I'll pop home, check on the workshop and pick up dinner. Let's say, two hours? That'll give you time to nap and plenty of time to get hungry. What do you say?”

“Sure.”

She got to her feet and dusted herself off, rearranging her overalls and pulling at the crop-top underneath to cover more of her skin. She plumped the cushions she'd been sat on and arranged them so Mint could lie back down. “Great, get some rest. I'll see you soon.”

“Alright I'll –” Mint paused in his tracks, her lips to his cheek, locks of hair brushing against his ear. There was a roaring in his head, as all of the blood from his body rushed to it. He found himself acting on impulse, for the first time in his life. Mint reached for her before she could move back, his trembling hands rooted against her neck. He turned his head and parted his mouth, finding her lips, not satisfied with her lips just to his cheek. Mint found all of his worry melted, the second he tasted her, felt her, breathed her in and she sang against his lips. The builder kissed him back with fervour, nose pushing into his high cheek as she pressed her mouth to his. _Finally_ , her kiss said with a concerted huff as if it had taken him long enough to take the hint. Gods, he was so soft to touch, so sweet to hear, she didn't know how she held out for so long. He gave her bottom lip a gentle tug, pressing his forehead to hers, breaking from her with a final peck. Mint smiled, baring pearly white teeth as his face lit up.

The Builder caught herself, and nuzzled into his brow before pulling back. “I've wanted you to do that for ages.”

“Why didn't you say something?” He asked, perplexed.

She shrugged. “Because I wanted _you_ to want to. What good would it do if it was just me that wanted it?”

He appreciated her candour, and willingness to let him figure it out for himself. But now his head was filled with more questions than answers, and his body just wanted to kiss her all over again. Before he had the chance to chase the answers down the heavy door to the Mayor's office opened and in strode the Mayor himself.

“Ah there you both are, but where else would you be. You both realise the time, right?” Portia's Mayor spoke with gusto.

The Builder was surprisingly put together, Mint wished he could say the same. “Of course Gale, we we're just taking a break. I'm just on my way to get us dinner.”

The portly Mayor nodded. “I guess that answers that question. Why don't I walk you over there, I have some ideas and I need to pick your brain.”

She shrugged in acceptance and turned to Mint, he shrunk back at the warmth she gave. “Rest up, I'll be back in a little while, okay? We can talk more then.”

Gale agreed with vigour, but he had no idea what to. “That's right my boy,” he said. “You need to take it easier! You're a Portian now. We work hard so we can rest well. Don't get home too late and don't keep this young lady up all night!” Gale didn't see the implication of his words, but Mint did. He saw the salacious look on her face as he mumbled a platitude to his Father. Gale turned to the Builder and guided her from the office. “Now then....where was I? Oh yes!”

With that they were both gone, and the second the door was clicked shut, Mint threw himself on the sofa, more tired and more awake than he'd ever been in his life. Her warmth lingered over his skin, left him with a hot flush and a wicked desire. Portia had been the end and the start of him. He'd found work, a purpose, a loving, supporting family in Gale and his kin, and maybe with her he'd start his own. With the thought of the builder in his mind, Mint dozed off into an easy sleep; his heart full and life just beginning.


End file.
